Clean Run Magazine - January 2007 - 61

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tip point and drop Now the dog will get on the teeter at the correct end,
and navigate the entire teeter, ending on the contact point. If you have
an adjustable teeter, start with a limited drop to a soft surface such as
a 1” or 2” drop to a pause table with a towel to buffer both the shock
and noise of the impact . This allows the dog to navigate the tip point the
center of the teeter but usually won’t startle the dog. Using a table
makes the visual picture of the ramp as consistent as possible with what
it normally looks like, but you will still need to lower the teeter a bit
for this stage so that the drop to the table is short. As long as the dog
seems eager to get on the teeter, gradually progress to longer and longer
drops by raising the teeter to full height. Finally, starting again with a
lowered teeter, remove the table to allow the teeter to drop to the ground.
So the drop distance is small again, but the teeter is now dropping to the
ground instead of the table. Work as quickly as possible to a full-height
teeter drop. If you can’t adjust the height of the teeter, another
person can catch the end once the dog tips it, to prevent the teeter from
banging hard on the ground in the initial stages. Lower it quickly but not
so fast as to spook the dog and make him jump off. Have your helper catch
the teeter progressively farther down each time until the dog is riding it
the entire distance to the ground, then working his contact. Let the teeter
hit the ground a bit harder each time by having your helper provide less
and less support, until the dog is doing the complete performance. Add a
verbal cue Give the teeter a unique name by teaching a verbal cue.You will
say the cue just before he gets on the teeter, then let the dog complete
the performance. Some people use a separate cue for the contact
point—you can discuss the pros and cons with your instructor. Include
high-value rewards on the contact, such as a dinner dish, favorite treat,
or favorite toy. Make sure the dog rides it down every time, and waits at
the contact point until released.Although it may not look like that in
competition, you want to practice careful performance of the obstacle
during training. Once the dog begins to associate the cue with the teeter
after about 50-100 repetitions, over several days , do not reward any
teeter performance that has not been cued. This is an important step to
prevent the dog from taking what has become a high-value piece of
equipment any old time he wants. You do not need to say anything to the
dog, just ignore him if he gets on the teeter without being told to. Once
the dog takes the teeter on cue, add other named pieces of contact
equipment to work on discrimination. Generalize Add distance to the teeter
and different approaches and departures, also adding more equipment before
and after the teeter. T h e n , finally, generalize the teeter performance
to other environments, as well as other teeters. Using other teeters is a
critical step, as tip points, weight, and appearance of the teeter can
vary greatly. When the dog eagerly runs to a teeter and you have to work
on keeping him off it, you’ll know you’ve accomplished your goal!
Lower the teeter so there is only a short drop to the table Gradually
raise the teeter to full height. Remove the table, lower the teeter, then
work up to a full-height drop. Problem Solving Never hesitate to stay at a
particular step longer than you thought you might have to, or even to back
up a step if you don’t seem to be making progress. If your dog starts
avoiding the teeter, you’ve almost certainly pushed too far, too fast.
Back up and work in short, one-minute sessions, followed by something easy
that the dog does well. Don’t keep doing something over and over if
it’s going badly—think about what the dog is learning, rather than
what you think you’re teaching. Now is the time to step back and
reevaluate your training plan. If your dog is at all worried, invest in
your own teeter if possible. You’ll save money in the long run versus
throwing away entry fees on unsuccessful runs. But also take every
opportunity to get your dog on as many different teeters as you can. Rent
fields from trainers, go to seminars, borrow from or trade with friends,
and go to fun matches. Make the teeter a high-payoff obstacle. Click and
produce the dog’s food bowl, or a handful of prime rib. Occasionally
click and throw a toy but not too often or you can encourage flyoffs .
Click and do something else that the dog really enjoys and stop practicing
the teeter for a bit. Let the dog do his job. If you’re insecure about
the equipment and are babysitting or nagging the dog to get to the end,
you may be adding to or creating stress. You’ve trained the dog to move
to the end independently of you—now get out of the picture and let the
dog perform the obstacle. Practice entries so that the dog can
successfully navigate the teeter regardless of the approach. Wa t c h your
own behavior if the dog makes a mistake. Does your attitude immediately
become defeatist? Do you moan or swear? Videotape your practice and your
performance at a show to check. Negative behavior can create big problems
for a sensitive dog. If you still have problems, don’t give up. Keep
asking people for ideas—you never know who might have the “teeter
tip” that works for your dog. D Mandy Book and Cheryl S. Smith are the
authors of Right On Target: Taking Dog Training to a New Level and Quick
Clicks: 40 Fast and Fun Behaviors to Train with a clicker both available
at www.cleanrun.com . They both compete in agility and clicker train their
own and others’ dogs. January 07 | Clean Run 61 Warning : Unknown : The session id contains invalid characters, valid
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Clean Run Magazine - January 2007

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